Music for the Soul
by smoking-tulips
Summary: Norway has always loved music, but no matter how much he practised; he still felt the need to perfect his skills. But skills come at a price after all, even for a nation.


He had always loved music.

Loved the way the melody would float with the wind and carried further than what the eyes could ever see.  
An invisible force dragging you into a wild dance. Music could make you laugh from happiness or cry from sadness – and sometimes it could do both. The sound of an instrument was much more powerful than some people could ever imagine.

Music could wave a picture perfect image in your mind, bring back memories you though you'd lost. It worked like magic.

However, skills with a fiddle did not come without practice.  
So Norway practised.

and practised,

and practised,

till his fingers bled and his neck was sore.

Yet it didn't sound the way he wanted it to.  
No matter how much emotion and dedication he poured into it, his music never matched _his._

Eventually he swallowed his pride and headed for the lake.

Standing next to the dark water he swallowed nervously.  
This was not just a simple task of asking a willing teacher.  
No.  
This would require a sacrifice.

Norway looked around worriedly before he threw the bottle of home made spirit into the dark water.  
The bottle bopped up and down before suddenly being dragged under water by an unseen force.

Minutes passed and yet nothing happened.  
With a frown the Nordic nation threw his second offering into the water:  
a salted leg of lamb – stolen from Sweden's house of course.

Just like the bottle, the leg floated aimlessly around before disappearing down into the murky depth of the lake.  
Norway shuddered. He didn't like to admit it; but this creature held a certain power that even he feared.

Minutes ticked past and eventually he got fed up with waiting.  
Taking a step into the lake, balancing on a few small rocks, he drew out a small dagger.

Holding his hand away from his body, he flinched as the sharp blade drew blood.  
Drop by drop it fell into the water. Diluting and floating out like red ink on wet paper.

Slowly something seemed to be reacting down in the dark water.  
The water seemed to move like it was not merely a normal liquid.  
Waves appeared out of no where at a rate that frankly reminded Norway of a whirlpool.

Standing his ground, Norway met the rising figure with a determined look

"Such and offering. You really are serious about this..."  
the creatures voice was like honey and silk. Smooth and sweet despite being obviously male.  
Each word threatening to captivate a simple human with ease.

"I want you to teach me how to play the fiddle,"  
He held his gaze on the creature, eyes cold and hard. He wasn't going to give up.

"I can see that. But imagine that! The likes of you coming to the likes of me! To learn!"

"You have your offerings, so teach me," He didn't have time to play around with the creature – every word spoken between them was only adding to the risk of being dragged to the bottom of a lake. Norway didn't know if he could drown – but he didn't fancy finding out. He imagine the feeling to be worse than any war he had ever been in. The crushing feeling of water around him would not kill him quickly enough.  
The nøkk would probably drag him down and toy with him. And being this creatures toy was not on his list of things to do. Ever.

"Yes yes. Teach you I shall..." the creature smirked with sharp teeth as it's body began to twist and break, slowly shrinking until a beautiful blonde male stood in front of Norway, dressed in what appeared to be a very elaborate folk-dress from well before Norway's people made bunads.

"I am your 'slave' as much as the others dwelling in this country are," the nøkk smirked and took a step closer to the Nordic nation.

Norway frowned at the Nøkk.  
"I am no ones 'master' and no one is my 'slave',"

"Surely there is someone out there who you consider to be of lesser status...right?"

"The people in this country are mine – my children. Every child, every adult belong to me as a family. I can't order them about, nor would I wish to,"

"Fine words. But how far does such noble ideas extend?" The blonde creature sneered back. Ice cold eyes meeting Norway's with ease.

"I am this country and this country is me. Everything and everyone within these borders are my equals,"

The nøkk crossed it's arms and surveyed the Nordic nation with an unreadable expression.  
Norway remained steadfast. Ignoring how the water around his feet seemed to tug at his trousers – threatening to pull him under.

"Noble indeed. You have guts..." the creatures eyes softened and the wicked grin disappeared.

"Thank you," Norway bowed his head towards the blonde male and thanked whatever gods up there for such luck.

"Now...about that teaching..." The nøkk smirked slightly and within seconds was mere millimetres away from Norway's face.  
The Nordic nation took a step back – or tried to – glancing down he felt a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach has he noticed the water around his feet was frozen solid.

"What is the meaning of this?" He tried to stay calm, but the panic was quickly rising,  
"Relax," The nøkk sang with his smooth voice, a cold and wet finger tracing Norway's jawline slowly. "How serious are you about this?" he enquired in a low whisper. The creatures breath cold and damp on Norway's neck.

"Very serious," he replied coolly back as he pressed a iron cross against the creatures' stomach.  
"So I suggest you stop playing around."

The nøkk recoiled instantly, glaring at Norway as it clutched the burn mark the cross had left on his stomach. Red skin slowly disappearing as the water around it helped to heal the creature's wound.  
"Clever one you are," it hissed.

"I've lived for a long time, I know your weakness and your tricks. So why don't we stop this little dance on ice and get on with the real show?" Norway let a small smirk slip as he played with the cross in his hands.

He wanted to smile even more as the nøkk released his feet, but decided against it. There was no reason to anger this creature any more than he had already done. After all; this blonde haired man was to teach him, and Norway knew better than to anger such a powerful creature.

"Very well Norge," the creature replied bitterly, holding his hands out over the water.  
Ripples appeared before two violins slowly emerged from the murky water.

Taking the one handed to him, Norway admired the fine details of the instrument. The way the smooth pieces of wood had been slotted together seamlessly, as if the whole fiddle had been expertly carved out of one single piece of wood. Norway ran his fingers gently over the strings, smiling as the friction created clear tones.

"Ready?"

Norway nodded and mimicked the nøkk's movements as he placed the instrument under his chin, the bow carefully hovering above the strings.

Without a word the creature started playing, and Norway followed suit.  
No words were needed, he only listened and copies the movements and notes the nøkk made.  
A melody that was foreign yet frightfully familiar filled the forest, a calming and exiting feeling all at once.  
Every note sent a chill down Norway's spine just as much as it made him smile.

His eyes fell shut as he felt his arms move on their own. There was no need for guidance any more; he could weave the music to his own accord.

The two blondes stood knee deep in water for what felt like mere minutes to Norway, but as time passed he felt a hint of fatigue. His fingers hurt and he forced his eyes open to see what was wrong. What harm could a few minutes of playing really have done?

The sigh that meat him made him stop dead in his tracks and stumble backwards with a yelp.

"You play well," the nøkk commented with a smirk. It had long since stopped playing and was sitting on a rock observing Norway calmly. "Hardly needed help from me..."

Norway shuddered and stared at his own hands. The beautiful fiddle was stained with blood from his fingers – worn down and raw from hours of playing.  
The Nordic nation tried to calm himself down – he was alive, everything was fine, he stopped in time. He could still get away.

"I want to be the best,"

"Lesser men have sold their soul for talent like that," the creature replied with a smirk, pearly white teeth glinting dangerously. "Do you even have a soul, Norge?"

The way he said his name made Norway frown, talent or not this 'man' knew what buttons to press.

"Yeah I do...4 million of them even," he smirked right back at the nøkk.

"Oh yes, your pathetic little humans. Weak and fragile..."

"and yet so much stronger than you," Norway cut in darkly.

"Strong? Hardly," The nøkk frowned, getting up from his rock and taking a few steps closer to the blonde nation through the knee deep water. He made it look so easy. Walking through water appeared to be as effortlessly for him as it was to walk though air for Norway.

"Tell me, Fatherland. If your humans are so strong and wonderful, why not have one of them teach you what I just did?"

"Because sometimes one monster can only learn from another," he shot back, lips a thin line as he stared back with a stone cold expression.

"Heh, strange one you are. You bleed like them, you look like them, you talk like them; yet you are not them. I though I was cursed, but seemingly the real cursed one is you, Norge." the nøkk's blonde hair slowly changed to a few shades darker, blue eyes glinting.  
No, they where _glowing_.

"I bear the burden with pride," Norway straightened up as much as he could, holding the bloodstained fiddle out and away from his body.

"Seems I finally found my match then," the nøkk smirked as he took the fiddle away from Norway, running a finger over the still fresh drops of blood. Licking the dark red liquid with a satisfactory smile.  
"You even taste just like them,"

"You sound surprised," this time it was Norway's turn to smile, his left hand slowly pulling out the iron cross again from his pocket.

"Of course. You are as old as me, or perhaps even older! You do not posses weakness like me, and yet you appear here, with offerings that mere humans give to appease me. I imagined you would have power to beat me in a different way."

"A fair game is much more interesting," Norway admitted as he stepped out of the lake slowly, the nøkk knew what he was and what he was capable off; the iron cross was hardly needed in the first place.

"You would have made a poor meal anyway," the creature joked lightly as it took a step backwards, slowly sinking deeper into the still water.

"Thank you,"

"For what?" the nøkk crooked it's head and looked at the nation in confusion. "for not eating you?"

"No. Thank you for teaching me," Norway let a small smile slip. "Perhaps I'll come back again someday,"

"Yes, do that," the nøkk chuckled lightly "We'll hold a concert like the forest has never heard before,"

"The Huldras will undoubtedly wish to miss such an occasion," Norway added as he picked up his own old fiddle. It felt heavier and more rough than the one the nøkk had given him – but it was comforting holding his own instrument again. Years of practice had moulded this one to suit him like a glove.

"I'll look forward to that then, Norge."

Norway smiled and gave a small wave just as the creature disappeared under the dark water.  
His name had been uttered with warmth – not contempt.  
Smiling to himself he put the fiddle under his chin and played a soft tune as he headed back home through the forest.

* * *

_A.N  
Hope you enjoyed that! I love weaving mythology into my fics, so hopefully people like reading it.  
Fun facts!  
The line "Yeah I do...4 million of them even" is in reference to one of Norway's old King's quotes. King Olav V; Who was known as the 'peoples king' due to his down to earth nature and familiarity with the general population was once asked how he dared venture around town with no body guards, he replied that "he had 4 million bodyguards"; referring to how all the current people in Norway at the time (roughly 4 million) would never harm him.  
Now-a-days there's actually 5 million Norwegians or so: but this fic isn't set in modern day – so we'll go for 4._

_Also: in most Norwegian mythology it's actually the "Fossegrim" who's the one who's a great teacher for the fiddle/violin, but for this story I decided to merge the two creatures (they are very similar and a lot of stories about each creature could just as well be about the both of them)_

_Please note I can't play an instrument to save my life. So descriptions are most likely not accurate. However, I hope I at least portrayed this in a somewhat all right manner._


End file.
